


When the Promise Breaks

by KatiKitten



Category: Glee, Rambling Wrecks
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-07
Updated: 2012-10-07
Packaged: 2017-11-15 20:28:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/531363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatiKitten/pseuds/KatiKitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an AU for an AU 'verse created by Raving Liberal and Patchfire. They were nice enough to let me play in their sandbox for a little while. I tried to make it happy, but... the characters did not cooperate. Takes place after "Three Locker Rooms".</p>
            </blockquote>





	When the Promise Breaks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [patchfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/patchfire/gifts), [raving_liberal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raving_liberal/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Three Locker Rooms [December 1, 2014]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/366550) by [patchfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/patchfire/pseuds/patchfire), [raving_liberal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raving_liberal/pseuds/raving_liberal). 



Miles Brown is not exactly the type of person to commit to one person and one person only. He just doesn't seem to be wired that way. Sure, that might make him a bit of a manslut, but he is who he is and he isn't going to change himself to fit other people.

Which sounds really good if one doesn't think about just how much changing Miles has done in South Carolina. He still doesn't commit to anyone. He sleeps around when he has time and he makes it clear that it _never_ going to be serious straight from the offset. He might like sex, but he isn't going to lie to get it. But he makes sure that he only goes after girls, unless he is lucky enough to be home in Lima, and even then, he makes sure he is damn careful.

He wants to say screw it, he'll be himself, out and loud and proud or whatever. The problem is, he's chosen pretty much the only city in the country worse than Lima to be out in. Well, Lima three years ago. Lima as it existed now was a lot safer to be out in than Clemson.

Miles had chosen this school because he wanted to play ball. That was what had mattered to him. Most of the time, he is happy with the choice he made. Playing football is what he does to help himself forget Ca-

To help himself forget things better forgotten.

Every once in a while, though, Miles is smacked with the realization that maybe he didn't make the best choice. If he'd chosen elsewhere, he could be himself completely, instead of squashing that side of him that Clemson wouldn't like.

The ringing of his phone grabs his attention and Miles checks it before answering it, even though he knows without looking who it is. Only one person has that ring tone, but he's stalling. He hasn't been looking forward to the conversation that is undoubtedly going to happen, but he knows that he has been putting it off long enough, and damn it, he still cares. He can only delay the phone call for so long, just like when he'd put himself on self-imposed Cherry exile two years ago.

But Cherry isn't Cherry anymore. Not his, anyway.

When Miles answers, Casey starts talking a hundred million miles a minute, words just pouring out of him, telling Miles all about how he and David were _finally_ actually together, complete with the "Will you be my boyfriend" (Casey asking Shep, of course, because Miles was pretty sure Shep would _never_ ask that of anyone, except maybe Casey because, yeah, the two were _stupid_ for each other) question and everything, and oh, Miles, it was just _amazing_.

Miles makes the appropriate noises, tossing darts at the dartboard hanging from his door and trying to not actually listen.

And then Casey has to talk about how it is hitting the news and how interested everyone seems to be and most people at the college seem to be handling it pretty well, but there were a few that aren't, and David is already getting hatemail, and _so_ many people are talking about it.

And Miles blurts out that it had come up in the locker room earlier.

Casey isn't stupid. Casey had visited Miles at Clemson once, and once only, and had picked up on the differences between Miles there and Miles at home. He'd watched and listened to how the other football players treated and talked to Miles, and Casey understood Miles' reasoning (that he's never actually had to say because Casey has just _understood_ without it) even if he wasn't happy with it.

Now was different, though. "You pretended you didn't know either of us, and you _really_ didn't know we were gay, didn't you?" Casey's voice is quiet, which was very un-Casey like.

Miles has never really been a liar; the times he has lied was for Casey's benefit, or at least _meant_ to be Casey's benefit. Even if Miles _was_ a liar, there are a few people you just don't lie to, and Casey has always been that person for Miles. "Yes." Miles has never hated himself. He's always rather liked himself. The closest he has ever really come to self-hatred was after _The Phone Call_ from Shep, where he would willingly have thrown himself at Shep's fist just to save him the trouble of drawing back for the punch. Right now? He is pretty firmly in the "We Hate Miles Brown" camp that he has always denied existed because everyone loves him and he loves them.

Casey is silent for a long moment, and then he just _breathes_ it. "Oh, _Miles_." And right there is all the disappointment that Miles never wanted to hear.

"I hated it. I didn't want to but I didn't know what else to do and they were asking _questions_ , Case." Miles tries to explain, desperately needing Casey to understand because as broken as their friendship has become in the last two years, he can't stand the idea of it breaking more.

"I know, Miles. It's just not _safe_ for you. I get that." Casey still sounds despondent in a way that Caseys just shouldn't sound.

That voice only serves to make Miles hate himself more, and he finds himself being honest in a way that he normally works hard to _not_ be. "I hate it. Part of me wants to just go out and find a boyfriend. Walk into the locker room and say that yes, I like dick, and if any one of them have a problem wtih that, fuck them."

Casey giggles a bit. "I have a hard time picturing you with a boyfriend, Miles. You're not really the commit to one guy kind of guy. Or even commit to one gender kind of guy."

"I could have been." The words are out before Miles could stop them. Hell. Apparently, he is going for broke in his "destroy my friendship with Cherry" kick.

Casey is quiet for a long moment, before, "I'm sorry, Miles."

Miles lets out a heavy sigh. "Not your fault, Casey."

"I hate that you do that!" Casey isn't the type to get mad. Miles idly thinks that he can count the times he's seen or heard Casey get mad on one hand, but it sure sounds like he is mad now.

"Do what?"

"I hate that you call me 'Casey' now! You've _always_ called me Cherry! You make up these nicknames for everyone, and sometimes they don't make any sense, but you call _everyone_ something special that only you call them, and you've stopped doing that for me, and I _hate_ it!" Casey erupts in a torrent of words and if they'd been directed at anyone else, Miles would probably be laughing, and most likely be laughing hard.

Instead of laughing, though, Miles yells back. As few times as he can remember seeing or hearing Casey get mad, he knows that this is the first time he's gotten visibily (or audibly, in this case) mad at Casey. "What do you want me to do? You've made it clear for years now that you were all googly-eyed for Shep! I've been _crazy_ about you and you never noticed because I wasn't him! So, yeah, I can't call you Cherry anymore because it hurts too bad!"

"I..." Casey trails off before re-starting. "You-" A sharp breath, and then a final attempt. "Crazy?"

Miles rubs at his face. "You make me crazy, Casey. You and Shep are _stupid_ for each other, and I'm crazy for you. You seem to have that effect on people interested in redheads with too much energy."

"Oh, _Miles_..." There it is again, complete with disappointment.

"Don't say it, Case." Miles grits the words out.

"Don't say what?"

"Don't say whatever it is you're going to say. About how you're sorry. Or how happy you are wtih Shep. I want to be happy for you, Casey, and I _am_ happy that you're happy. But I don't know how much 'happy' I can come up with right now."

There is a long pause, and Miles tries to think of what he can do and right now, just hanging the phone up is pretty high on that list. And then Casey actually talks. "...What if I was going to say that I might be stupid for David, but I'm crazy for you, too?"

Miles blinks a few times, coming up with a total blank of things to say. "You can't say things like that, Case. Not when you're with Shep, and that's not gonna change."

Casey sighed heavily, and Miles could easily picture the disgruntled look on his face and the way the puff of air would have moved Casey's hair. "Life would be easier if I could be cloned, you know."

"Yeah. But you've made your choice without the cloning." Miles made an effort to smile. His Ma always said that if you're in a bad mood, just smile and your voice will automatically show that smile. "No worries. Like you said, I'm not the type to commit to one person. Why limit myself? I'll just love all the people."

"And they'll love you." Casey's response is a little too slow to be entirely natural; it sounds like he's saying what's expected of him rather than what he _wants_ to say, but Miles doesn't have the energy to push it. Not now.

"Don't be a stranger, Case. Call if you need anything." And with that, the phone call is over and Miles feels drained. He knows he should feel bad about some of the things he said, and maybe he will tomorrow. Right now, though, all he wants is the day to be over.

Maybe tomorrow he'll fix things. Maybe tomorrow he won't feel as broken.

But he knows, even as he thinks that, that things will still be broken and no amount of trying is going to fix it.


End file.
